Xingguo Grey Goose

Xingguo Grey Goose

The Xingguo Grey Goose is a geographical indication protected product.

The Xingguo Grey Goose is a geographical indication certification trademark.

The Xingguo Grey Goose is an agricultural geographical indication product.

　　The Xingguo Grey Goose has grey feathers and gets its name from its place of origin, Xingguo. When newly hatched, the goslings have a small yellowish-white spot on their beaks, about the size of a soybean, and bluish feet. Adult geese have bluish beaks, yellow feet, grey backs, and greyish-white chests and abdomens, with wavy patterns on their back and wing feathers. Male geese have a prominent fleshy lump on their foreheads, resembling a small hat. Female geese have distinct abdominal folds. The Xingguo Grey Goose is not only elegant in shape and attractive in appearance, but also boasts tender meat, crispy bones, white skin, delicious flavor, and high nutritional value, containing unique proteolytic enzymes. In the early 1980s, it was rated as the best goose breed by experts at the Guangdong Foreign Trade Association, winning the title of "King of Geese" and gaining fame in both domestic and international markets. The Xingguo Grey Goose is hardy and can feed on both wild and cultivated grasses and vegetables. It thrives in group grazing, is highly resistant to adversity, and exhibits strong maternal instincts. Before laying eggs, mother geese will actively seek out male geese for mating, laying 10–12 eggs per clutch. They brood naturally and are excellent at incubating and caring for goslings. Growth is fastest during winter and spring; winter goslings typically gain over 55 grams per day and can be marketed at around 65 days old, while spring goslings gain over 50 grams per day and are ready for market at around 70 days old. They generally grow to 4 kilograms, with some reaching 5 kilograms. The people of Xingguo have a history of raising geese for over 1,700 years and are known as the "Hometown of Grey Geese." Since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, with the implementation of reform and opening-up policies and the development of the market economy, local enthusiasm for goose farming has grown steadily. The Xingguo County Party Committee and County Government have seized the opportunity to promote grey goose farming as a key measure for rural poverty alleviation and prosperity. In 1995, the county's grey goose population exceeded 3.5 million, with 3 million actually marketed. The title "Hometown of Grey Geese" is well-deserved. By the riverside or stream, you’ll see flocks of geese playing in the water and chasing each other; on lawns or hillsides, you’ll see them pecking at the ground and singing loudly... This magnificent spectacle of thousands or even tens of thousands of geese stirs excitement, delight, and awe.

　　During festivals or when hosting guests, the people of Xingguo often serve goose meat as a main dish. It is also an indispensable delicacy in restaurants and hotels. Goose meat is delicious whether stir-fried, braised, or stewed. Fried or served sliced white, it remains equally tasty. Locals are also skilled at mixing goose meat with rice noodles, garnished with chili sauce, chopped scallions, and shredded ginger, then steaming it in a bamboo steamer for a unique flavor. The fragrant goose head, wings, and feet... are popular for pairing with alcohol, while goose offal stir-fried with pickled vegetables, garlic, and chili is especially delicious. Though goose meat and offal are tasty, some find plucking the feathers troublesome, so markets now feature rows of pre-plucked goose carcasses. Butchers display their cleaned and plucked grey geese, and customers can buy as much or as little as they like. Plain meat and offal are especially popular, making this a unique feature of Xingguo’s markets. Goose is not only edible—goose down and feathers are also valuable, used to make warm down jackets and quilts. The iconic goose-feather fans once wielded by Zhuge Liang are now exported as far as Southeast Asia. Raising grey geese is a source of income for the people of Xingguo, and it’s often said: “For a prosperous home, you need a good wife, a good sow, and a good flock of geese.” The people of Xingguo have a special fondness for grey geese, giving rise to many local tales. Historical records tell of a story from over 1,700 years ago, when a flock of celestial cranes from the Yaochi Heaven sneaked down to Earth for an adventure. Enchanted by Xingguo’s breathtaking landscapes and the shimmering beauty of the Lian River, they descended to play in the water. A young and beautiful female crane, drawn to the vibrant blooms of an azalea bush by the shore, fluttered over to admire them—only to find a lecherous toad lurking behind the flowers, ready to pounce. Just as the toad lunged, a brave male goose rushed to the rescue, saving the crane. Deeply moved, the crane chose to stay on Earth and marry the heroic goose, starting a family together.

　　After centuries of careful breeding, the Xingguo Grey Goose has become an outstanding local breed. To preserve its superior genes, the county government established the Xingguo Grey Goose Breeding Farm in 1986, focusing on selective breeding and product development. That same year, the project was included in the National Spark Program, and in 1988, it was listed under the Ministry of Agriculture’s Prosperity Plan. Through purebred propagation and meticulous selection, the farm improved the breed’s reproductive performance and growth rate. After two inspections and certifications by the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Agriculture, the Xingguo Grey Goose Breeding Farm was recognized as the only provincial-level local purebred goose farm in the province. The farm has since been renamed the Xingguo Grey Goose Development Corporation.

　　The Xingguo Grey Goose enjoys growing prestige in domestic and international markets, with prices rising steadily and demand outstripping supply. To accelerate goose farming, the county government encourages planting grass on winter fallow fields for feed—one acre of winter fallow planted with Italian ryegrass can support 120 geese and generate over 1,000 yuan in additional income. “The goal is to raise 10 million Xingguo Grey Geese by 2000—an inspiring plan indeed.”

　　Geographic Scope

　　The Xingguo Grey Goose originates and is primarily produced across various towns and townships within Xingguo County, Jiangxi Province. The core production areas are the county’s 16 towns: Lianjiang, Changgang, Buzhou, Gaoxing, Gulonggang, Longkou, Yongfeng, Jiangbei, Dinglong, Chenggang, Xinglian, Fangtai, Chongxian, Longping, Dongcun, and Junccun. Family-raised geese are found across 25 towns and 304 villages. Xingguo County is located in the Yushan Mountain region, east of the Luoxiao Mountains and west of the Wuyi Mountains, in southern Jiangxi and northern Ganzhou. Its geographic coordinates span 115°01′–115°51′ east longitude and 26°03′–26°41′ north latitude. It borders Ningdu to the east, Yudu to the southeast, Ganxian to the south, Wan’an to the west, Taihe to the northwest, and Yongfeng and Ji’an to the north. The county stretches 84 kilometers from east to west and 71.5 kilometers from north to south, covering a total area of 3,215 square kilometers. It lies 82 kilometers from Ganzhou City and 346 kilometers from the provincial capital, Nanchang. Xingguo is a nationally designated poverty-alleviation county in southern Jiangxi’s less-developed regions. Its annual production scale reaches 5.4 million geese, yielding 32,400 tons of meat.

　　IV. Product Quality Characteristics